Crosby denies cigarette lobbying

Conservative election adviser Lynton Crosby has denied he has had "any conversation or discussion with or lobbied the Prime Minister, or indeed the Health Secretary or the health minister, on plain packaging or tobacco issues".

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Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood told Labour he does "not see what purpose would be served" by an inquiry into claims that Tory adviser Lynton Crosby lobbied David Cameron over tobacco packaging.

In a letter to Labour leader Ed Miliband, who has demanded an inquiry, Sir Jeremy said:

Mr Crosby is not employed by the Government. He is contracted by the Conservative Party.

He has not been granted permission to have access to Government papers or attend Government meetings. Nor does he advise or lobby on Government business, such as the regulation of cigarette packaging or fracking.

His role, as I understand it, is to advise the Conservative Party and any meetings he may have had with the Prime Minister are on this basis, which is not in itself a conflict with the ministerial code.

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Labour vice-chairman Michael Dugher said Lynton Crosby's statement denying he lobbied the Government on tobacco issues "raises more questions than it answers":

This baffling statement raises more questions than it answers. David Cameron has refused to deny that he has had a conversation with Lynton Crosby about tobacco policy on at least 16 occasions. If Lynton Crosby is telling the truth, why on earth couldn't David Cameron say this himself?

The fact remains that David Cameron chose to bring a tobacco lobbyist into the heart of his Government, changed his policy on cigarette packaging and was then unable to give a straight answer about Lynton Crosby's influence.

Conservative election adviser Lynton Crosby has denied having "any conversation or discussion with or lobbied the Prime Minister, or indeed the Health Secretary or the health minister, on plain packaging or tobacco issues".

The Prime Minister will not be able to move on from the Lobbying row until he answers questions over Lynton Crosby's influence on government policy, according to a public relations expert.

Kevin Craig, from Political Lobbying and Media Relations, said Lyton Crosby's involvement in government policy "looks wrong and and doesn't feel right" and called on the Prime Minister to provide answers.

The NHS links pre-dated David Cameron hiring Mr Crosby however it is the second time the Prime Minister has had to defend his controversial election strategist over claims of lobbying.

Mr Cameron has insisted that Mr Crosby had not intervened in policy decisions, but has repeatedly refused to answer questions about the extent of his conversations with the lobbyist.

The Prime Minister has come under sustained pressure to say whether Mr Crosby, whose lobbying company has also worked for tobacco giant Philip Morris, had spoken to him about shelving the plan for cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging.

The Guardian published extracts from a slideshow presentation produced for the H5 Private Healthcare Alliance, which stated that people believe the NHS provides good healthcare, though they believe it was "too bureaucratic with long waiting lists".

Crosby Textor advised its client that 63% of those questioned in a poll conducted for the presentation believed that "going private frees up the NHS waiting list".

The paper said the presentation was made by Crosby Textor, known as CTF Partners in Britain, towards the end of 2010, just months before the Health and Social Care Bill was given its second reading in the House of Commons in January 2011.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham claimed there was a "shocking conflict of interest" at the heart of his administration:

The more we learn of Lynton Crosby's business dealings, the greater the number of question marks left hanging over the conduct and integrity of David Cameron's government.

Shortly after Lynton Crosby started work for the Conservative Party, the Government shifted its position in favour of private health companies by trying to sneak NHS regulations through the House forcing services out to the market.

At the time, experts expressed surprise at the sudden shift in position. Now we can guess why.

Once again, it is more proof that you can't trust David Cameron with the NHS.